Ice maker

ABSTRACT

An ice maker includes an evaporator configured to freeze water into ice as it flows vertically down a freeze plate. A distributor distributes the water along the top of the freeze plate to form ice across the width of the freeze plate as the water flows downward along the freeze plate. The distributor can be integrated into the evaporator. For example, the distributor and evaporator can have a part in common. The distributor can be formed from two pieces that come together to form the freeze plate. The distributor can have various features that aid in providing a desirable distribution of water along the width of the freeze plate. The freeze plate can be mounted in an ice maker enclosure in thermal communication with the evaporator and to slant forward.

FIELD

The present disclosure pertains to an ice maker of the type thatincludes a distributor that directs water to flow along a freeze plate,which freezes the water into ice.

BACKGROUND

Ice makers are well-known and in extensive commercial and residentialuse. One type of ice maker includes an evaporator assembly thatcomprises a freeze plate which defines a plurality of ice molds in atwo-dimensional vertical grid. Refrigerant tubing extends along the backof the freeze plate and forms an evaporator configured to cool thefreeze plate. A water distributor is positioned above the freeze plateto direct water onto the freeze plate that freezes into ice in themolds.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. Thefreeze plate has a front defining open front ends of the molds, a backdefining enclosed rear ends of the molds, a top portion and a bottomportion spaced apart along a height, and a first side portion and asecond side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor adjacentthe top portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct waterimparted through the distributor to flow downward along the front of thefreeze plate along the width of the freeze plate. The distributorcomprises a first end portion and a second end portion spaced apartalong a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise fromthe first end portion to the second end portion and extends generallyforward from an upstream end portion to a downstream end portion. Thedistributor is configured to direct the water imparted therethrough toflow in a generally forward direction from the upstream end portion tothe downstream end portion. A weir extends upward from the bottom wallat a location spaced apart between the upstream end portion and thedownstream end portion. The weir is configured so that the water flowsacross the weir as it flows along the bottom wall from the upstream endportion to the downstream end portion. The bottom wall comprises a rampsurface, immediately upstream of the weir, sloping upward in thegenerally forward direction.

In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. Thefreeze plate has a front defining open front ends of the molds, a backdefining enclosed rear ends of the molds, a top portion and a bottomportion spaced apart along a height, and a first side portion and asecond side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor adjacentthe top portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct waterimparted through the distributor to flow downward along the front of thefreeze plate along the width of the freeze plate. The distributorcomprises a first end portion and a second end portion spaced apartalong a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise from.the first end portion to the second end portion and extends generallyforward from an upstream end portion to a downstream end portion. Thedistributor is configured to direct the water imparted therethrough toflow in a generally forward direction from the upstream end portion tothe downstream end portion. The downstream end portion of the bottomwall defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve. The downwardlycurving surface tension curve is configured so that surface tensioncauses the water imparted through the distributor to adhere to the curveand be directed downward by the curve toward the top end portion of thefreeze plate.

In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. Thefreeze plate has a front defining open front ends of the molds, a backdefining enclosed rear ends of the molds, a top portion and a bottomportion spaced apart along a height, and a first side portion and asecond side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor adjacentthe top portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct waterimparted through the distributor to flow downward along the front of thefreeze plate along the width of the freeze plate. The distributorcomprises a first end portion and a second end portion. spaced apartalong a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise fromthe first end portion to the second end portion and extends generallyforward from an upstream end portion to a downstream end portion. Thedistributor is configured to direct the water imparted therethrough toflow in a generally forward direction from the upstream end portion tothe downstream end portion. An overhanging front wall has a bottom edgemargin spaced apart above the bottom wall adjacent the downstream endportion thereof such that a flow restriction is defined between thebottom wall and the overhanging front wall. The flow restrictioncomprises a gap extending widthwise between the first end portion andthe second end portion of the distributor and is configured to restricta rate at which water flows through the flow restriction to thedownstream end portion of the bottom wall.

In yet another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. Thefreeze plate has a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along aheight and a first side portion and a second side portion spaced apartalong a width. A distributor extends along the width of the freeze plateadjacent the top portion of the freeze plate. The distributor isconfigured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow fromthe top portion of the freeze plate to the bottom portion along thewidth of the freeze plate. The distributor comprises a first distributorpiece and a second distributor piece. The second distributor piece isconfigured to be releasably coupled to the first distributor piecewithout separate fasteners to form the distributor.

In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. Thefreeze plate has a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along aheight and a first side portion. and a second side portion spaced apartalong a width. A distributor adjacent the top portion of the freezeplate has a width extending along the width of the freeze plate. Thedistributor has an inlet and an outlet and defining a distributor flowpath extending from the inlet to the outlet. The distributor isconfigured to direct water imparted through the distributor along thedistributor flow path and discharge the water from the outlet such thatthe water flows from the top portion of the freeze plate to the bottomportion along the width of the freeze plate. The distributor comprises afirst distributor piece and a second distributor piece. The seconddistributor piece is releasably coupled to the first distributor pieceto form the distributor. The first distributor piece comprises a bottomwall defining a groove extending widthwise and the second distributorpiece comprising a generally vertical weir defining a plurally ofopenings spaced apart along the width of the distributor. The weir has afree bottom edge margin received in the groove such that water flowingalong the distributor flow path is inhibited from flowing through aninterface between the bottom edge margin of the weir and the bottom wallarid is directed to flow across the weir through the plurality ofopenings.

In another aspect, an ice maker comprises an evaporator assemblycomprising a freeze plate defining a plurality of molds in which theevaporator assembly is configured to form pieces of ice. The freezeplate has a front defining open front ends of the molds and a backextending along closed rear ends of the molds. An evaporator housing hasa back and defines an enclosed space between the back of the freezeplate and the back of the evaporator housing. Refrigerant tubing isreceived in the enclosed space. Insulation substantially fills theenclosed space around the refrigerant tubing. A water system isconfigured to supply water to the freeze plate such that the water formsinto ice in the molds. The evaporator housing includes a distributorpiece formed from a single piece of monolithic material. The distributorpiece is in direct contact with the insulation and has a bottom wall.The water system is configured direct the water to flow along the bottomwall as the water is supplied to the freeze plate.

In still another aspect, an ice maker comprises an evaporator assemblycomprising a freeze plate defining a plurality of molds in which theevaporator assembly is configured to form pieces of ice. The freezeplate has a front defining open front ends of the molds, a backextending along closed rear ends of the molds, a top wall formed from asingle piece of monolithic material and defining a top end of at leastone of the molds, and at least one stud joined to the top wall andextending upward therefrom. A distributor is configured to distributewater imparted through the distributor over the freeze plate so that thewater forms into ice in the molds. The distributor comprises adistributor piece formed from a single piece of monolithic material. Thedistributor piece comprises a bottom wall defining a portion of a flowpath along which the distributor directs water to flow through thedistributor. A nut is tightened onto each stud against the distributorpiece to directly mount the distributor on the freeze plate.

In another aspect, a distributor for receiving water imparted throughthe distributor and directing the water to flow along a freeze plate ofan ice maker so that the water forms into ice on the freeze platecomprises a rear wall adjacent an upstream end of the distributor, abottom wall extending forward from the rear wall to a front end portionadjacent a downstream end of the distributor, and a tube protrudingrearward from the rear wall. The rear wall has an opening immediatelyabove the bottom wall through which the tube fluidly communicates withthe distributor. The bottom wall comprises a rear section that slopesdownward to the rear wall and a front section that slopes downward tothe front end portion.

In another aspect, an ice maker comprises an enclosure. A freeze plateis received in the enclosure. The freeze plate comprises a back wall anda front opposite the back wall. The freeze plate further comprises aperimeter wall extending forward from the back wall. The perimeter wallcomprises a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first side wallportion, and a second side wall portion. The first side wall portion andthe second side wall portion define a width of the freeze plate. Thefreeze plate further comprises a plurality of heightwise divider platesextending from lower ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upperends connected to the top wall portion and a plurality of widthwisedivider plates extending from first ends connected to the first sidewall portion to second ends connected to the second side wall portion.The heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates areinterconnected to define a plurality of ice molds inboard of theperimeter wall. Each widthwise divider plate defines a plurality ofmolds immediately above the divider plate and a plurality of moldsimmediately below the divider plate. Each widthwise divider plate slopesdownward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate suchthat included angle between an upper surface of each widthwise dividerplate and the back wall is greater than 90° and less than 180°. Adistributor is configured to direct water imparted through thedistributor to flow downward along the freeze plate along the width ofthe freeze plate. The freeze plate is supported in the enclosure so thatthe back wall of the freeze plate slants forward.

Other aspects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an ice maker;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the ice maker supported on an ice bin;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a subassembly of the ice maker including asupport, an evaporator assembly, a sump, a mounting plate, arid a sensorfitting;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the subassembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the subassembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of a freeze plate of the ice maker;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective of the freeze plate;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section of the freeze plate;

FIG. 9 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 13 is a rear elevation of the evaporator assembly with back wallremoved to reveal serpentine evaporator tubing;

FIG. 14 is a cross section of the evaporator assembly taken in the planeof line 14-14 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly with a topdistributor piece removed and showing a bottom distributor piece/topevaporator housing piece and components associated therewith explodedaway from the remainder of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the components of theevaporator assembly shown in FIG. 15 taken in a plane that passesthrough a stud of the freeze plate;

FIG. 17 is vertical cross section of the evaporator assembly mounted onthe support;

FIG. 18 is a perspective of a distributor of the evaporator assembly;

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective of the distributor;

FIG. 20 is a vertical cross section of the distributor;

FIG. 20A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 20;

FIG. 21 is a top perspective of the bottom distributor piece;

FIG. 22 is a bottom perspective of the bottom distributor piece;

FIG. 23 is a vertical cross section similar to FIG. 15 except that theplane of the cross section passes through the center of an inlet tube ofthe bottom distributor piece;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged perspective of an end portion of the bottomdistributor piece;

FIG. 25 is a perspective of the top distributor piece;

FIG. 26 is a bottom plan view of the top distributor piece;

FIG. 27 is a rear elevation of the top distributor piece;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective of an end portion of the topdistributor piece;

FIG. 29 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly with the topdistributor piece spaced apart in front of the bottom distributor piece;

FIG. 30 is a vertical cross section of the subassembly of FIG. 3received in a schematically illustrated ice maker enclosure, wherein theplane of the cross section is immediately inboard of a right side wallportion of a vertical side wall of the support as shown in FIG. 3 andwherein the top distributor piece is shown in a removed position outsideof the enclosure;

FIG. 31 is an enlarged horizontal cross section of an end portion of thedistributor looking downward on a plane that passes through an elongatetongue of the bottom distributor piece received in an elongate groove ofthe bottom distributor piece;

and

FIG. 32 is a vertical cross section of the distributor taken in a planethat passes through a segmented weir.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of an ice maker is generallyindicated at reference number 10. This disclosure details exemplaryfeatures of the ice maker 10 that can be used individually or incombination to enhance ice making uniformity, ice harvestingperformance, energy efficiency, assembly precision, and accessibilityfor repair or maintenance. One aspect of the present disclosure pertainsto an evaporator assembly that includes an evaporator, a freeze plate,and a water distributor. As will be explained in. further detail below,in one or more embodiments, the parts of the evaporator assembly areintegrated together into a single unit. In certain embodiments, thewater distributor includes a configuration of water distributionfeatures that provides uniform water flow along the width of the freezeplate. In an exemplary embodiment, the water distributor is configuredto provide ready access to the interior of the distributor for repair ormaintenance. In one or more embodiments, the evaporator assembly isconfigured to mount the freeze plate within the ice maker in anorientation that reduces the time it takes to passively harvest iceusing gravity and heat. Other aspects and features of the ice maker 10will also be described hereinafter. Though this disclosure describes anice maker that combines a number of different features, it will beunderstood that other ice makers can use any one or more of the featuresdisclosed herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The disclosure begins with an overview of the ice maker 10, beforeproviding a detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of anevaporator assembly.

I. Refrigeration System

Referring a refrigeration system of the ice maker 10 includes acompressor 12, a heat rejecting heat exchanger 14, a refrigerantexpansion device 18 for lowering the temperature and pressure of therefrigerant, an evaporator assembly 20 (broadly, an ice formationdevice), and a hot gas valve 24. As shown, the heat rejecting heatexchanger 14 may comprise a condenser for condensing compressedrefrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor 12. In otherembodiments, for example, in refrigeration systems that utilize carbondioxide refrigerants where the heat of rejection is trans-critical, theheat rejecting heat exchanger is able to reject heat from therefrigerant without condensing the refrigerant. The illustratedevaporator assembly 20 integrates an evaporator 21 (e.g., serpentinerefrigerant tubing), a freeze plate 22, and a water distributor 25 intoone unit, as will be described in further detail below. Hot gas valve 24is used, in one or more embodiments, to direct warm refrigerant from thecompressor 15 directly to the evaporator 21 to remove or harvest icecubes from the freeze plate 22 when the ice has reached the desiredthickness.

The refrigerant expansion device 18 can be of any suitable type,including a capillary tube, a thermostatic expansion valve or anelectronic expansion valve. In certain embodiments, where therefrigerant expansion device 18 is a thermostatic expansion valve or anelectronic expansion valve, the ice maker 10 may also include atemperature sensor 26 placed at the outlet of the evaporator tubing 21to control the refrigerant expansion device 18. In other embodiments,where the refrigerant expansion device 18 is an electronic expansionvalve, the ice maker 10 may also include a pressure sensor (not shown)placed at the outlet of the evaporator tubing 21 to control therefrigerant expansion device 19 as is known in the art. In certainembodiments that utilize a gaseous cooling medium (e.g., air) to providecondenser cooling, a condenser fan 15 may be positioned to blow thegaseous cooling medium across the condenser 14. A form of refrigerantcycles through these components via refrigerant lines 28 a, 28 b, 28 c,28 d.

II. Water System

Referring still to FIG. 1, a water system of the illustrated ice maker10 includes a sump assembly 60 that comprises a water reservoir or sump70, a water pump 62, a water line 63, and a water level sensor 64. Thewater system of the ice maker 10 further includes a water supply line(not shown) and a water inlet valve (not shown) for filling sump 70 withwater from a water source (not shown). The illustrated water systemfurther includes a discharge line 78 and a discharge valve 79 (e.g.,purge valve, drain valve) disposed thereon for draining water from thesump 70. The sump 70 may be positioned below the freeze plate 22 tocatch water coming off of the freeze plate such that the water may berecirculated by the water pump 62. The water line 63 fluidly connectsthe water pump 62 to the water distributor 25. During an ice makingcycle, the pump 62 is configured to pump water through the water line 63and through the distributor 25. As will be discussed in greater detailbelow, the distributor 25 includes water distribution features thatdistribute the water imparted through the distributor evenly across thefront of the freeze plate 22. In an exemplary embodiment, the water line63 is arranged in such a way that at least some of the water can drainfrom the distributor through the water line and into the sump when iceis not being made.

In an exemplary embodiment, the water level sensor 64 comprises a remoteair pressure sensor 66. It will be understood, however that any type ofwater level sensor may be used in the ice maker 10 including, but notlimited to, a float sensor, an acoustic sensor, or an electricalcontinuity sensor. The illustrated water level sensor 64 includes afitting 68 that is configured to couple the sensor to the sump 70 (seealso FIG. 4). The fitting 68 is fluidly connected to a pneumatic tube69. The pneumatic tube 69 provides fluid communication between thefitting 68 and the air pressure sensor 66. Water in the sump 70 trapsair in the fitting 68 and compresses the air by an amount that varieswith the level of the water in the sump. Thus, the water level in thesump 70 can be determined using the pressure detected by the airpressure sensor 66. Additional details of exemplary embodiments of awater level sensor comprising a remote air pressure sensor are describedin U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0054043, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sump assembly 60 further comprises amounting plate 72 that is configured to operatively support both thewater pump 62 and. the water level sensor fitting 68 on the sump 70. Anexemplary embodiment of a mounting plate 72 is shown in FIG. 4. Asdescribed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/746,828,filed Jan. 18, 2020, entitled ICE MAKER, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, the mounting plate 72 may define an integralsensor mount 74 for operatively mounting sensor fitting 68 on the sump70 at a sensing position at which the water level sensor 64 is operativeto detect the amount of water in the sump. The mounting plate 72 mayalso define a pump mount 76 for mounting the water pump 62 on tile sump70 for pumping water from the sump through the water line 63 and thedistributor 25. Each of the sensor mount 74 and the pump mount 76 mayinclude locking features that facilitate releasably connecting therespective one of the water level sensor 64 and the water pump 62 to thesump 70.

III. Controller

Referring again to FIG. 1, the ice maker 10 may also include acontroller 80. The controller 80 may be located remote from the icemaking device 20 and the sump 70 or may comprise one or more onboardprocessors, in one or more embodiments. The controller 80 may include aprocessor 82 for controlling the operation of the ice maker 10 includingthe various components of the refrigeration system and the water system.The processor 82 of the controller 80 may include a non-transitoryprocessor-readable medium storing code representing instructions tocause the processor to perform a process. The processor 82 may be, forexample, a commercially available microprocessor, anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a combination ofASICs, which are designed to achieve one or more specific functions, orenable one or more specific devices or applications. In certainembodiments, the controller 80 may be an analog or digital circuit, or acombination of multiple circuits. The controller 80 may also include oneor more memory components (not shown) for storing data in a formretrievable by the controller. The controller 80 can store data in orretrieve data from the one or more memory components.

In various embodiments, the controller 80 may also comprise input/output(I/O) components (not shown) to communicate with and/or control thevarious components of ice maker 10. In certain embodiments, for example,the controller 80 may receive inputs such as, for example, one or moreindications, signals, messages, commands, data, and/or any otherinformation, from the water level sensor 64, a harvest sensor fordetermining when ice has been harvested (not shown), an electrical powersource (not shown), an ice level sensor (not shown), and/or a variety ofsensors and/or switches including, but not limited to, pressuretransducers, temperature sensors, acoustic sensors, etc. In variousembodiments, based on those inputs for example, the controller 80 may beable to control the compressor 12, the condenser fan 15, the refrigerantexpansion device 18, the hot gas valve 24, the water inlet valve (notshown), the discharge valve 79, and/or the water pump 62, for example,by sending, one or more indications, signals, messages, commands, data,and/or any other information to such components.

IV. Enclosure/Ice Bin

Referring to FIG. 2, one or more components of the ice maker 10 may bestored inside of an enclosure 29 of the ice maker 10 that defines aninterior space. For example, portions or all of the refrigeration systemand water system of the ice maker 10 described above can be received inthe interior space of the enclosure 29. In the illustrated embodiment,the enclosure 29 is mounted on top of an ice storage bin assembly 30.The ice storage bin assembly 30 includes an ice storage bin 31 having anice hole (not shown) through which ice produced by the ice maker 10falls. The ice is then stored in a cavity 36 until retrieved. The icestorage bin 31 further includes an opening 38 which provides access tothe cavity 36 and the ice stored therein. The cavity 36, ice hole (notshown), and opening 38 are formed by a left wall 33 a, a right wall 33b, a front wall 34, a back wall 35 and a bottom wall (not shown). Thewalls of the ice storage bin 31 may be thermally insulated with variousinsulating materials including, but not limited to, fiberglassinsulation or open- or closed-cell foam comprised, for example, ofpolystyrene or polyurethane, etc. in order to retard the melting of theice stored in the ice storage bin 31. A door 40 can be opened to provideaccess to the cavity 36.

The illustrated enclosure 29 is comprised of a cabinet 50 (broadly, astationary enclosure portion) and a door 52 (broadly, a movable orremovable enclosure portion). In. FIG. 2, the door 40 of the ice storagebin assembly 30 is raised so that it partially obscures the ice makerdoor 52. The door 52 is movable with respect to the cabinet 50 (e.g., ona hinge) to selectively provide access to the interior space of the icemaker 10. Thus, a technician may open the door 52 to access the internalcomponents of the ice maker 10 through a doorway (not shown; broadly, anaccess opening) as required for repair or maintenance. In one or moreother embodiments, the door may be opened in other ways, such as byremoving the door assembly from the cabinet.

V. Internal Support

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the illustrated ice maker 10 comprises aone-piece support 110 that is configured to support several componentsof the ice maker inside the enclosure 29. For example, the illustratedsupport 110 is configured to support the sump 70, the mounting plate 72,arid the evaporator assembly 20 at very precise positions to limit thepossibility of misplacement of these components. The inventors haverecognized that ice maker control schemes that use water level as acontrol input require accurate placement of the water level sensor inthe sump. If the position of the water level sensor deviates from thespecified position by even a small amount (e.g., millimeters or less),the control scheme can be disrupted. The inventors have furtherrecognized that the aggregated dimensional tolerances of the parts ofconventional assemblies for mounting internal ice maker components canlead to misplacement. Still further, the inventors have recognized thatprecisely positioning an evaporator assembly in an ice maker can enhancegravity-driven ice making and ice-harvesting performance.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support 110 includes a base 112 and avertical support wall 114. The illustrated vertical support wallcomprises a first side wall portion 116, a second side wall portion 118,and a back wall portion 120 extending widthwise between the first andsecond side wall portions. A large opening 122 extends widthwise betweenthe front end margins of the side wall portions 116, 118. When the icemaker 10 is fully assembled, this opening 122 is located adjacent afront doorway 268 (FIG. 30) of the enclosure 29 such that a techniciancan access the components supported on the vertical wall through theopening when the door 52 is open.

Each side wall portion 116, 118 includes an integral evaporator mount124 (broadly, a freeze plate mount). The evaporator mounts 124 areconfigured to support the evaporator assembly 20 at an operativeposition in the ice maker 10. Each side wall portion 116, 118 furthercomprises an integral mounting plate mount 126 that is spaced apartbelow the evaporator mount 124. The mounting plate mount 126 isconfigured to support the mounting plate 72 so that the mounting platecan mount the water level sensor fitting 68 and the pump 62 at operativepositions in the ice maker 10. An integral sump mount 128 for attachingthe sump 70 to the ice maker is spaced apart below the mounting platemount 126 of each side wall portion 116, 118. In FIGS. 3-5, only themounts 124, 126, 128 defined by the right side wall portion 116 areshown, but it will be understood that the left side wall portion 118 hassubstantially identical, mirror-image mounts in the illustratedembodiment.

At least one of the side wall portions 116, 118 that defines the mounts124, 126, 128 is formed from. a single piece of monolithic material. Forexample, in one or more embodiments, the entire vertical support wall114 is formed from a single monolithic piece of material. In theillustrated embodiment, the entire support 110, including the base 112and the vertical support wall 114, is formed from a single piece ofmonolithic material. In one or more embodiments, the support 110 is asingle molded piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the monolithicsupport 110 is formed by compression molding. Forming the support 110from a single piece eliminates the stacking of tolerances that occurs ina multi-part support assembly and thereby increases the accuracy of theplacement of the parts that are mounted on the support.

The evaporator mounts 124 are configured to mount the evaporatorassembly 20 on the vertical support wall 114 in the enclosure 29 suchthat the freeze plate 22 slants forward. To accomplish this, eachevaporator mount 124 in the illustrated embodiment comprises a lowerconnection point 130 and an upper connection point 132 forwardly spacedfrom the lower connection point. As shown in FIG. 5, the connectionpoints 130, 132 are spaced apart along an imaginary line IL1 that isoriented at a forwardly slanted angle α with respect to a plane BP theback wall portion 120 of the vertical support wall 114. In use, the icemaker 10 is positioned so that the plane BP of the back wall portion 120is substantially parallel to a plumb vertical axis VA. As such, theimaginary line IL1 slants forward with respect to the plumb verticalaxis VA at the angle α.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the upper and lower connectionpoints 130, 132 comprises a screw hole. In use, the evaporator 20 ispositioned between the side wall portions 116, 118, and a screw (notshown) is placed through each screw hole into a corresponding pre-formedscrew hole associated with the evaporator assembly 20. As explainedbelow, the pre-formed evaporator screw-holes are arranged so that, whenthey are aligned with the evaporator mount screw holes 130, 132, thefreeze plate 22 slants forward. It will be appreciated that an integralevaporator mount can include other types of connection points besidesscrew holes in one or more embodiments. For example, it is expresslycontemplated that one or both of the screw holes 130, 132 could bereplaced by an integrally formed stud or other structure that can beused to register and attach a freeze plate to the support at the properposition.

Each mounting plate mount 126 comprises a pair of generally horizontallyspaced tapered screw holes 134 (broadly, connection points). Similarly,each sump mount 128 comprises a pair of generally horizontally spacedmounting holes 136 (broadly, connection points). Again, the holes 134,136 of the mounting plate mount 126 arid the sump mount 128 could bereplaced with other types of integral connection points in one or moreembodiments.

As shown in FIG. 4, in one or more embodiments, the sump 70 is generallysized and arranged for being received in the space between the side wallportions 116, 118 of the vertical support wall 114. Each of a first endportion and a second end portion of the sump 70 that are spaced apartwidthwise includes a pair of projections 138 at spaced apart locations.The projections 138 on each end portion of the sump 70 are configured tobe received in the pair of mounting holes 136 defined by a respectiveone of the sump mounts 128. The projections 138, by being received inthe mounting holes 136, position the sump 70 at a precisely specifiedposition along the height of the support 110. In addition, a screw (notshown) is inserted through each mounting hole 136 and threaded into eachprojection 138 to fasten the sump 70 onto the support 110 at thespecified position.

Like the sump 70, the illustrated mounting plate 72 comprises a firstend portion and a second end portion that are spaced apart widthwise.Each end portion of the mounting plate 114 defines a pair pre-formedscrew holes that are configured to be aligned with the screw holes 134of the corresponding mount 126 of the support 110. Screws (broadly,mechanical fasteners; not shown) pass through the screw holes 134 aridthread into the holes that are pre-formed in the mounting plate 72 toconned the mounting plate to the support 110 at a precisely specifiedposition along the height of the support. In one or more embodiments,countersunk screws (e.g., screws with tapered heads) are used to connectthe mounting plate 72 to the support 110. The countersunk screwsself-center in the tapered screw holes 134.

It can be seen that the one-piece support 110 with integral mounts 124,126, 128 can be used to ensure that the evaporator assembly 20, themounting plate 72, arid the sump 70 are supported in the ice maker 10 atthe specified position. The support 110 can thereby position the freezeplate 22 to optimally balance desired performance characteristics, suchas water distribution during ice making and ease/speed ofice-harvesting. Further, the support 110 can position the mounting plate72 with respect to the sump 70 so that the pressure sensor fitting 68mounted in the sensor mount 74 is precisely positioned with respect tothe sump for accurately detecting the water level using the sensor 64.Likewise, the support 110 positions the mounting plate 72 with respectto the sump 70 so that the pump 62 is precisely positioned for pumpingwater from the sump 70 through the ice maker 10 when the pump is mountedon the pump mount 76.

VI. Freeze Plate

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, an exemplary embodiment of the freeze plate 22will now be described, before turning to other components of theevaporator assembly 20 that attach the freeze plate to the support 110.The freeze plate 22 defines a plurality of molds 150 in which the icemaker 10 is configured to form ice. The freeze plate 22 has a frontdefining open front ends of the molds 150, a back defining enclosed rearends of the molds, a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart alonga height HF, and a right side portion (broadly, a first side portion)and a left side portion (broadly, a second side portion) spaced apartalong a width WF.

Throughout this disclosure, when the terms “front,” “back,” “rear,”“forward,” “rearward,” and the like are used in reference to any part ofthe evaporator assembly 20, the relative positions of the open frontends and enclosed rear ends of the freeze plate molds 150 provide aspatial frame of reference. For instance, the front of the freeze plate22 that defines the open front ends of the molds 150 is spaced apartfrom the rear of the freeze plate in a forward direction FD (FIG. 8),and the back of the freeze plate that extends along the enclosed rearends of the molds is spaced apart from the front of the freeze plate ina rearward direction RD.

In the illustrated embodiment, the freeze plate 22 comprises a pan 152having a back wall 154 that defines the back of the freeze plate.Suitably, the pan 152 is formed from thermally conductive material suchas copper, optionally having one or more surfaces coated with afood-safe material. As is known in the art, the evaporator tubing 21 isthermally coupled to the back wall 154 of the freeze plate 22 forcooling the freeze plate during ice making cycles and warming the freezeplate during harvest cycles.

The pan 152 further comprises a perimeter wall 156 that extends forwardfrom the back wall 154. The perimeter wail 156 includes a top wallportion, a bottom wall portion, a right side wall portion (broadly, afirst side wall portion), and a left side wall portion (broadly, asecond side wall portion). The side wall portions of the perimeter wall156 define the opposite sides of the freeze plate 22, and the top andbottom wall portions of the perimeter wall define the top and bottomends of the freeze plate. The perimeter wall 156 could be formed fromone or more discrete pieces that are joined to the back wall 154 or thepan 152, or the entire pan could be formed from a single monolithicpiece of material in one or more embodiments. Suitably, the perimeterwall 156 is sealed to the back wall 154 so that water flowing down thefreeze plate 22 does not leak through the back of the freeze plate.

A plurality of heightwise and widthwise divider plates 160, 162 aresecured to the pan to form a lattice of the ice cube molds 150. In anexemplary embodiment, each heightwise divider plate 160 and eachwidthwise divider plate 162 is formed from a single piece of monolithicmaterial. Each heightwise divider plate 160 has a right lateral sidesurface (broadly, a first lateral side surface) and a left lateral sidesurface (broadly a second lateral side surface) oriented parallel to theright lateral side surface. Each widthwise divider plate 162 has abottom surface and a top surface oriented parallel to the bottomsurface. The heightwise divider plates 162 extend from lower ends thatare sealingly connected to the bottom wall portion of the perimeter wall156 to upper ends that are sealingly connected to the top wall portionof the perimeter wall. The plurality of widthwise divider plates 160similarly extend from first ends sealingly connected to the right sidewall portion of the perimeter wall 156 to second ends sealinglyconnected to the left side wall portion of the perimeter wall.

Generally, the heightwise divider plates 16o and the widthwise dividerplates 162 are interconnected in such a way as to define a plurality ofice molds 150 within the perimeter wall 156. For example, in theillustrated embodiment, each of the heightwise divider plates 160 has aplurality of vertically-spaced, forwardly-opening slots 164; each of thewidthwise diver plates has a plurality of horizontally-spaced,rearwardly-opening slots 166; and the heightwise and widthwise dividerplates are interlocked at the slots 164, 166 to form the lattice.Suitably, each widthwise divider plate 162 defines a plurality of themolds 150 (e.g., at least three molds) immediately above the dividerplate and a plurality of the molds (e.g., at least three molds)immediately below the divider plate. Each heightwise divider plate 160likewise defines a plurally of the molds 150 (e.g., at least threemolds) immediately to one lateral side of the divider plate arid aplurality of the molds (e.g., at least three molds) immediately to theopposite lateral side of the divider plate.

Each of the divider plates 160, 162 has a front edge and a back edge.The back edges may suitably be sealingly joined to the back wall 154 ofthe freeze plate pan 152. When the freeze plate 22 is assembled, thefront edges of some or all of the divider plates 160, 162 (e.g., atleast the widthwise divider plates) lie substantially on a front planeFP (FIG. 8) of the freeze plate 22. In one or more embodiments, thefront plane FP is parallel to the back wall 154.

A plurality of the ice molds 150 formed in the freeze plate 22 areinterior ice molds having perimeters defined substantially entirely bythe heightwise and widthwise divider plates 160, 162. Others of themolds 150 are perimeter molds having portions of their perimeters formedby the perimeter wall 156 of the freeze plate pan 152. Each interior icemold 150 has an upper end defined substantially entirely by the bottomsurface of one of the widthwise divider plates 162 and a lower enddefined substantially entirely by the top surface of an adjacent one ofthe widthwise divider plates. In addition, each interior mold 150 has aleft lateral side defined substantially entirely by a right lateral sidesurface of a heightwise divider plate 162 and a right lateral sidedefined substantially entirely by a left lateral side surface of theadjacent heightwise divider plate.

As shown in FIG. 8, each widthwise divider plate 162 slopes downwardarid forward from the back wall 154 of the freeze plate 22 such that anincluded angle β between an upper surface of each widthwise dividerplate and the back wall is greater than 90°. In one or more embodiments,the included angle β is at least 100° and less than 180°. It can be seenthat the included angle between the top surface of each widthwisedivider plate 16 and the front plane FP is substantially equal to theincluded angle β. Further, it can be seen that the included anglebetween the bottom surface of each horizontal divider plate 162 and theback wall 154 (and also the included angle between the bottom surface ofeach horizontal divider plate 162 and the front plane FP) issubstantially equal to 180° minus β. The top and bottom portions of theperimeter wall 156 of the pan are oriented substantially parallel to thewidthwise divider plates 162 in one or more embodiments.

A series of threaded studs 168 extend outward from the perimeter wall156 at spaced apart locations around the perimeter of the freeze plate22. As will be explained in further detail below, the threaded studs 168are used to secure the freeze plate 22 to an evaporator housing 170 thatattaches the evaporator assembly 20 to the support 110. The studs 168are suitably shaped and arranged to connect the freeze plate 22 to theevaporator housing 170, and further to the support 110, such that theback wall 154 and front plane FP of the freeze plate slants forward whenthe freeze plate is installed in the ice maker 10.

VII. Evaporator Housing

Referring to FIGS. 9-14, the evaporator housing 170 will now bedescribed in greater detail. In general, the evaporator housing 170 isconfigured to support the evaporator tubing 21 and the freeze plate 22.As will be explained in further detail below, the water distributor 25is integrated directly into (i.e., forms a part of) the evaporatorhousing 170. The evaporator housing 170 comprises a frame including abottom piece 172, a top piece 174, and first and second side pieces 176that together extend around the perimeter of the freeze plate 22. Eachof the bottom piece 172, the top piece 174, and the opposite side pieces176 is formed from a single, monolithic piece of material (e.g., moldedplastic), in one or more embodiments. The inner surfaces of the bottompiece 172, the top piece 174, and the opposite side pieces 176 mayinclude a gasket (not shown) to aid in watertight sealing of theevaporator housing. The top piece 174 of the evaporator housing 170forms a bottom piece (broadly, a first piece) of the two-piecedistributor 25 in the illustrated embodiment.

A back wall 178 is supported on the assembled frame pieces 172, 174,176, 178 in spaced apart relationship with the back wall 154 of thefreeze plate 22. As shown in FIG. 14, the evaporator housing 170 definesan enclosed space 180 between the back wall 154 of the freeze plate 22and the back wall 178 of the housing. As explained in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2018/0142932, which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety, in one or more embodiments, two discretelayers 182, 184 of insulation fills enclosed space 176 and thoroughlyinsulates the evaporator tubing 21.

The bottom piece 172, the top piece 174, the opposite side pieces 176,and/or the back wall 178 may have features that facilitate assemblingthem together to form the evaporator housing 170 in a variety of ways,including snap-fit features, bolts and nuts, etc. For example, each ofthe frame pieces 172, 174, 176 comprises stud openings 186 that arearranged to receive the studs 168 on the corresponding wall portion ofthe perimeter wall 156 of the freeze plate 22. Some of the stud holes186 are visible in FIG. 12. In one or more embodiments, the back wall178 is joined to the assembled frame pieces 172, 174, 176 by ultrasonicwelding.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, one example of how the housing pieces 172,174, 176 attach to the freeze plate 72 is shown in greater detail.Specifically, the top housing piece 174 is shown, but it will beunderstood that the other housing pieces may attach to the freeze platein a like manner. The top piece 174 includes a front section thatdefines the stud openings 186. In the illustrated embodiment, each studopening 186 comprises a countersunk screw recess that includes anannular shoulder 192. The top piece 174 is positioned atop the freezeplate 22 such that one stud 168 is received in each. of the openings186. In the illustrated embodiment, a gasket 194 is located between thetop of the freeze plate 22 and the bottom of the top piece 174 to sealthe interface between the two parts. Nuts 196 are tightened onto each ofthe studs 168 to attach the top piece 174 to the freeze plate 22.Further, because the housing top piece 174 forms the bottom piece of thedistributor 25, tightening the nuts 196 onto the studs also attaches thedistributor directly to the freeze plate in the illustrated embodiment.Each nut 196 is tightened against the shoulder 192 of a respectivecountersunk recesses 186 (broadly, the nuts are tightened directlyagainst the top housing piece 170 or bottom distributor piece). In theillustrated embodiment, caps 198 are placed over the tops of thecountersunk recesses 186, Suitably, the tops of the caps 198 aresubstantially flush with the surface of the piece 174 to present asmooth surface to water flowing through the distributor 25.

VIII. Mounting of Evaporator Assembly so that Freeze Plate SlantsForward

Referring again to FIGS. 9 and 10, each of the side pieces 176 of theevaporator housing 170 include pre-formed lower and upper screw openings200, 202 at vertically spaced apart locations. The upper and lower screwopenings 200, 202 are configured to be positioned in registration withthe screw openings 130, 132 of a respective side wall portion 116, 118of the support 110. When each side piece 176 is secured to the freezeplate 22 via the studs 168, the screw openings 200, 202 are spaced apartalong an imaginary line IL2 oriented substantially parallel to the backwall 154 and the front plane FP of the freeze plate 22. Referring toFIG. 17, when screws (not shown) secure the evaporator assembly 20 tothe support 110 via the aligned lower screw openings 130, 200 and thealigned upper screw openings 132, 202, the imaginary line IL2 of theevaporator housing 170 is aligned with the forwardly slanted imaginaryline IL1 of the support.

Thus, the screw openings 130, 132, 200, 202 position the freeze plate 22on the support 110 so that the back wall 154 and front plane FP areoriented at the forwardly slanted angle α with respect to both the plumbvertical axis VA and the back plane BP of the support 110. En one ormore embodiments, the included angle α between the back wall 154/frontplane FP arid the plumb vertical axis VA/back plane BP is at least about1.5°. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the included angle α isabout 2.0°. Accordingly, the illustrated ice maker 10 is configured tomount the freeze plate 22 in the enclosure 29 so that the back wall 154slants forward. It will be appreciated that, though the one-piecesupport 110 and the side pieces 176 of the evaporator housing 170 areused to mount the freeze plate 22 in the slanted orientation in theillustrated embodiment, other ways of mounting a freeze plate may beused in other embodiments.

It is believed that conventional wisdom in the field of ice makers heldthat orienting a freeze plate with grid-type divider plates so that theback wall of the freeze plate slants forward would adversely affect thewater distribution performance of the ice maker. However, because of thehigh-quality flow distribution produced by the water distributor25—achieved, for example, using one or more of the water distributionfeatures described below—water is effectively distributed to the molds150 even though the freeze plate 22 is mounted with the back wall 154slanted forward. Further, the slanted freeze plate 22 enables the icemaker 10 to harvest ice quickly, using gravitational forces. In one ormore embodiments, the ice maker 10 is configured to execute a harvestcycle by which ice is released from the molds 150 of the freeze plate22, wherein substantially the only forces imparted on the ice during theharvest cycle are gravitational forces. For example, the harvest cycleis executed by actuating the hot gas valve 24 to redirect hotrefrigerant gas back to the evaporator tubing 21, thereby warming thefreeze plate 22. The ice in the molds 150 begins to melt and slidesforward down the sloping widthwise divider plates 162, off the freezeplate, and into the ice bin 30. In a harvest cycle in whichsubstantially the only forces imparted on the ice are gravitationalforces, no mechanical actuators, pressurized air jets, or the like areused to forcibly push the ice off of the freeze plate 22. Rather, theslightly melted ice falls by gravity off of the freeze plate 22.

IX. Water Distributor

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 18-19, an exemplary embodiment of thedistributor 25 will now be described. As explained above, thedistributor comprises a bottom piece 174 that forms a top piece of theevaporator housing 170. The distributor 25 further comprises a top piece210 that releasably attaches to the bottom piece 174 to form thedistributor. While the illustrated distributor 25 comprises a two-piecedistributor that is integrated directly into the evaporator housing 170,it will be understood that distributors can be formed from other numbersof pieces and attach to the ice maker in other ways in otherembodiments. As shown in FIG. 9, the distributor 25 is mounted on theevaporator assembly 20 adjacent the top of the freeze plate 22 and has awidth WD that extends generally along tile width WF of the freeze plate22. The distributor 25 extends widthwise from a right end portion(broadly, first end portion) adjacent the right side of the freeze plate22 to a left end portion (broadly, a second end portion) adjacent theleft side of the freeze plate.

The distributor 25 has a rear, upstream end portion defining an inlet212 arid a front, downstream end portion defining an outlet 214. Thedownstream end portion extends widthwise adjacent the top-front cornerof the freeze plate 22, and the upstream end portion extends widthwiseat location spaced apart rearward from the downstream end portion. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the inlet 212 formed by an opening at theupstream end portion of the distributor, and the outlet 214 is definedby an exposed lower front edge of the distributor 25. In use, this edgeis arranged so that water flows off of the edge onto the top portion ofthe freeze plate 22. It is contemplated that the inlet and/or outletcould have other configurations in other embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 20, the distributor 25 defines a distributor flow pathFP extending generally forward from the inlet 212 to the outlet 214. Thedistributor 25 is generally configured to direct water imparted throughthe distributor along the distributor flow path FP to discharge thewater from the outlet 214 such that the water flows from the top portionof the freeze plate 22 to the bottom portion generally uniformly alongthe width WF of the freeze plate. As will be explained in further detailbelow, the distributor 25 includes a number of water distributionfeatures that direct the water flowing along the flow path FP to bedistributed generally uniformly along substantially the entire width ofthe distributor.

Each of the bottom arid top pieces 174, 210 will now be described indetail before describing how the distributor 25 is assembled and used todistribute water over the freeze plate 22.

IX.A. Distributor Bottom Piece

Referring to FIGS. 21-22, the bottom distributor piece 174 has a rightend wall 216 (broadly, a first end wall) at the right end portion of thedistributor 25, a left end wall 218 (broadly, a second end wall) at theleft end portion of the distributor, and a bottom wall 220 extendingwidthwise from the right end wall to the left end wall. Referring toFIG. 23, as explained above, the bottom distributor piece 174 isdirectly attached to the freeze plate 22. Further, in the illustratedembodiment, the bottom distributor piece 174 is in direct contact withthe insulation 184 that fills the enclosed space 180 between the hackwall 154 of the freeze plate and the back wall 178 of the evaporatorhousing 170. A front section 222 of the bottom wall 220 is locatedgenerally above the freeze plate 22 to mount the distributor piece 174on the freeze plate as described above, and a rear section 224 of thebottom wall is located generally above the enclosed space 180 todirectly contact the insulation 184.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 224 includes a rear leg226 extending downward at a rear end portion of the bottom wall and afront leg 228 extending downward at a location forwardly spaced from therear leg. Each of the front arid rear legs 226, 224 extends widthwisebetween the right and left end walls 216, 218 of the bottom distributorpiece 174. The rear leg 226 is sealingly engaged with the back wall 178of the evaporator housing 170 (e.g., the rear leg is ultrasonicallywelded to the back wall). The bottom wall 220 defines a lower recess 23olocated between the front and rear legs 226, 228. The lower recess 230extends widthwise between the right and left end walls 216, 218 andforms the top of the enclosed space 180. Thus a portion of theinsulation 184 is received in the recess 230 and directly contacts thebottom distributor piece along three sides defining the recess. This isthought to thermal losses between the distributor and evaporator.

Referring to FIG. 24, each end wall 216, 218 in the illustratedembodiment comprises an elongate tongue 232 formed along an innersurface. Only the left end wall 218 is shown in FIG. 24, but it will beunderstood that the right end wall 216 has a substantially identical,mirror image tongue 232. The elongate tongues 232 extend longitudinallyin parallel, generally front-to-back directions. The elongate tongues232 are generally configured to form male fittings that releasablycouple the bottom distributor piece 174 to the top distributor piece 210without the use of separate fasteners. Each elongate tongue 232 has afront end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart longitudinallyfrom the front end portion. Between the front end portion and the rearend portion, each tongue comprises a slight depression 234.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the bottom wall 220 extends generallyforward from a rear, upstream end portion to a front, downstream endportion. A rear wall 236 extends upward from the upstream end portion ofthe bottom wall 220. The inlet opening 212 is formed in the rear wall236. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet opening 236 is generallycentered on the rear wall 236 at a spaced apart location between the endwalls 216, 218. Thus, broadly speaking, the inlet opening 212 throughwhich water is directed into the interior of the distributor 25 isspaced apart widthwise between the first end portion arid the second endportion of the distributor. During use, the distributor 25 is configuredto direct the water to flow from the inlet opening 212 along the bottomwall 220 in a generally forward direction FD from the upstream endportion of the bottom wall to the downstream end portion.

An integral inlet tube 238 protrudes rearward from the rear wall 236 andfluidly communicates through the rear wall via the inlet opening 212.The tube 238 slopes downward and rearward as it extends away from therear wall 236. The inlet tube 238 is configured to be coupled to the icemaker's water line 63 (FIG. 1). Accordingly, when ice is being made, thepump 62 pumps water from the sump 70 through the water line 63 and intothe distributor 25 via the integral inlet tube 238. When ice is notbeing made, residual water in the distributor 25 can drain through theinlet tube 238, down. the water line 63, and into the sump 70.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 224 of the bottom wall220 slopes downward and rearward along substantially the entire width ofthe bottom wall. Conversely, the front section 222 of the bottom wall220 slopes downward and forward along substantially the entire width.The front section 222 thus forms a runoff section along which waterflows forward and downward toward the downstream end portion of thebottom wall 220. Between the sloping rear section 224 and the slopingfront section 222 the bottom wall comprises a middle section thatincludes a widthwise groove 240. The widthwise groove is configured tosealingly receive a portion of the top distributor piece 210 when thetop distributor piece is coupled to the bottom distributor piece 174. Inone or more embodiments, the groove 240 is convex in the widthwisedirection (see FIG. 33). An apex of the bottom wall 220 is locatedimmediately upstream of the widthwise groove 240. The rear section 224of the bottom wall slopes downward from the apex to the rear wall 236.As shown in FIG. 23, the rear section 224 of the bottom wall 22C)includes a ramp surface 242 that defines the apex and a rearmost (orupstream-most) surface portion 244 (broadly, an upstream segment). Theramp surface 242 arid the rearmost surface portion 244 extend widthwisefrom the right end wall 216 to the left end wall 218.The ramp surface242 slopes upward in the generally forward direction and downward in thegenerally rearward direction. The rearmost surface portion 244 slopesupward in the generally forward direction more gradually than the rampsurface 242. The rearmost surface portion 244 is oriented at an angle ofless than 180° with respect to the ramp surface 242 such that therearmost surface portion slopes downward in the generally rearwarddirection at a more gradual angle than the ramp surface in theillustrated embodiment.

The bottom wall 220 is configured to passively drain water from thedistributor 25 when the ice maker 10 stops making ice. Whenever the icemaker 10 stops making ice, residual water in the front portion of thedistributor 25 flows forward along the sloping front section 222 (runoffsection) of the bottom wall 220 and drains off of the outlet 214 ontothe freeze plate 22. Similarly, residual water in the rear portion ofthe distributor 25 flows rearward along the sloping rear section 224 anddrains through the inlet opening 212 into the inlet tube 238. The waterdirected forward flows downward along freeze plate 22 and then flows offthe freeze plate into the sump 70. The water directed rearward flowsdownward through the water line 63 into the sump 70. Thus, thedistributor 25 is configured to direct substantially all residual waterinto the sump 70 when the ice maker 10 is not making ice. Further, inone or more embodiments, the sump 70 is configured to drainsubstantially all of the water received therein through the dischargeline 78 when the ice maker 10 is not in use. As can be seen, the shapeof the bottom wall 220 of the distributor 25 facilitates total passivedraining of the ice maker 10 when ice is not being made.

Referring to FIG. 21, a lateral diverter wall 246 extends upward fromthe bottom wall 220 along the rearmost surface portion 244. The lateraldiverter wall 246 is spaced apart between the rear wall 236 and the rampsurface 242. The lateral diverter wall 246 extends upward from thebottom wall 220 to a top edge that is spaced apart below the top of theassembled distributor 25 (see FIG. 20). The diverter wall 246 extendswidthwise from a right end portion (broadly, a first end portion) spacedapart from the right end wall 216 to a left end portion (broadly, asecond end portion) spaced apart from the left end wall 216. The lateraldiverter wall 246 is positioned in front of the inlet opening 214. Aswater flows into the distributor 25 through the inlet opening, thelateral diverter wall 246 is configured to divert at least some of thewater laterally outward, forcing the water to flow around the left andright ends of the lateral diverter wall.

Referring to FIGS. 20A and 23, the downstream end portion of the bottomwall 220 defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve 247 thatextends widthwise from the right end wall 216 to the left end wall 218.The downwardly curving surface tension curve 247 is configured so thatsurface tension causes the water flowing along the bottom wall 220 toadhere to the curve and be directed downward by the curve toward the topend portion of the freeze plate 22. In one or more embodiments, thesurface tension curve 270 is at least partially defined by a radius R ofat least 1 mm. In certain embodiments, the surface tension curve 270 isdefined by a radius of less than 10 mm. In one or more embodiments, thesurface tension curve 270 is defined by a radius in an inclusive rangeof from 1 mm to 3 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, the surface tensioncurve 270 is defined by a radius of 1.5 mm.

The bottom wall 220 further comprises a waterfall surface 249 extendinggenerally downward from the surface tension curve 274 to a bottom edgethat defines the outlet 214 of the distributor 212. The waterfallsurface 249 extends widthwise from the right end wall 216 to the leftend wall 218. The waterfall surface 249 generally is configured so thatsurface tension causes the water imparted through the distributor 25 toadhere to the waterfall surface and flow downward along the waterfallsurface onto the top end portion of the freeze plate 22. In one or moreembodiments, the waterfall surface 249 slants forward in the ice maker10 such that the waterfall surface is oriented generally parallel to theback wall 254 (and front plane FP) of the forwardly slanting freezeplate 22.

IX.B. Top Distributor Piece

Referring to FIGS. 25-27, the top distributor piece 210 has a right endwall 250 (broadly, a first end wall) at the right end portion of thedistributor 25 and a left end wall 252 (broadly, a second end wall) atthe left end portion of the distributor. The width of the topdistributor piece 210 is slightly less than the width of the bottomdistributor piece 174 such that the top distributor piece is configuredto nest between the end walls 216, 218 of the bottom distributor piece.

Referring to FIG. 28, each end wall 250, 252 in the illustratedembodiment comprises an elongate groove 254 along an outer surface. Onlythe left end wall 252 is shown in FIG. 28, but it will be understoodthat the right end wall 250 has a substantially identical, mirror imagegroove 254. Generally, the elongate grooves 254 are configured to formcomplementary female fittings that mate with the male fittings formed bythe elongate tongues 232 to releasably couple the top distributor piece210 to the bottom distributor piece 174 without the use of separatefasteners. The elongate grooves 254 are generally parallel, extendinglongitudinally in a generally front-to back direction. The rear endportion of each elongate groove 254 defines a flared opening throughwhich a respective elongate tongue 174 can pass into the groove. Eachend wall further defines a protuberance 256 that protrudes into thegroove at a location spaced apart between the front and rear ends of thegroove 254.

Referring again to FIGS. 25-27, the top distributor piece 210 comprisesa top wall 258 that extends widthwise from the right end wall 250 to theleft end wall 252 The top wall 258 extends generally forward from a rearedge margin. A front wall 260 extends generally downward from a frontend portion of the top wall to a free bottom edge margin. Two handleportions 262 extend forward from the front wall 260 in the illustratedembodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 26-27, the top distributor piece 210 further comprisesa weir 264 that extends downward from the top wall 258 at a locationspaced apart between the rear edge margin and the front wall 260. Theweir 264 extends widthwise from the right end wall 250 to the left endwall 252 and has a free bottom edge margin that is configured to bereceived in the widthwise groove 240 of the bottom distributor piece174. As shown in FIG. 27, the bottom edge margin of the weir 264 isconvex in the widthwise direction. The weir 264 defines a plurality ofopenings 266 at spaced apart locations along the width WD of thedistributor 25. A bottom portion of the weir 264. below the openings 266is configured to hold back water until the water level reaches thebottom of the openings. The openings 266 are configured so that water ispassable through the openings as it is imparted through the distributor25. Adjacent openings are separated by portions of the weir 264, suchthat the weir is configured to form a segmented weir that allows waterto cross at spaced apart segments along the width WD of the distributor25 (through the openings).

IX.C. Assembly of Two-Piece Distributor

Referring to FIGS. 29-30, to assemble the distributor 25, the topdistributor piece 210 is aligned in the widthwise direction with thespace between the end walls 216, 218 of the bottom distributor piece174. Then the top piece 210 is moved in the rearward direction RD intothe space between the rear walls 216, 218, such that the elongatetongues 232 of the bottom piece are slidably received in the elongategrooves 254 of the top piece.

As seen in FIG. 30, the evaporator assembly 20 is suitably arranged inthe interior of the ice maker enclosure 29 so that the top piece 210 canbe installed/removed through an access opening 268 such as the doorwayof the cabinet 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the doorway 268 isspaced apart from the front of the evaporator assembly 20 in the forwarddirection FD. Further, the front opening 122 in the support 110 islocated between the front of the evaporator assembly 20 and the doorway268. Thus, the top distributor piece 210 can be installed by moving thepiece through the doorway 268 arid the opening 122 in the rearwarddirection RD. The top distributor piece 210 is removed by moving thepiece through the opening 122 and the doorway 268 in the forwarddirection FD.

Each tongue 232 is configured to be slidably received in the respectivegroove 254 as the top distributor piece 210 moves toward the bottomdistributor piece 174 in the rearward direction RD. That is, theparallel longitudinal orientations of the tongues 232 and grooves 254facilitate coupling the top distributor piece 210 to the bottomdistributor piece 174 simply by moving the top distributor piece in therearward direction RD. Thus, the complementary fittings formed by thetongues 232 and grooves 254 are configured to be engaged by movement ofthe top distributor piece 210 inward into the interior of the enclosure29 from the doorway 268. Further, the complementary fittings 232, 254are configured to be disengaged simply by urging the top distributorpiece 210 away from the bottom distributor piece 174 in the forwarddirection FD, toward the doorway 268. When maintenance or repair of thedistributor 25 is required, a technician merely opens the door 52 (FIG.2), grips the handles 262, and pulls the top distributor piece 210outward in the forward direction. HD through the doorway 268. To replacethe top distributor piece 210, the technician inserts the piece throughthe doorway 268, aligns the open ends of the grooves 254 with thetongues 232, and pushes the top piece rearward. The tongues 232 are thenslidably received in the grooves 254, and the complementary fittingsthereby couple the top distributor piece 210 to the bottom distributorpiece 174 without using any additional fasters such as screws or rivets.

Though the illustrated embodiment uses the bottom distributor piece'selongate tongues 232 as male fittings and the top distributor piece'selongate grooves 254 as complementary female fittings, other forms orarrangements of complementary integral fittings can be utilized toreleasably couple one distributor piece to another in one or moreembodiments. For example, it is expressly contemplated that in certainembodiments one or more male fittings could be formed on the topdistributor piece and one or more complementary female fittings could beformed on the bottom distributor piece. It is further contemplated thatthe fittings could be formed at alternative or additional locationsother than the end portions of the distributor.

Referring to FIG. 31, each pair of complementary fillings comprises adetent configured to keep the respective tongue 232 at a couplingposition along the respective groove 254. More specifically, theprotuberances 256 formed in the grooves 254 are configured to bereceived in the depressions 234 of the tongues 232 to provide a detentwhen the complementary fittings are at the coupling position. The detentresists inadvertent removal of the top distributor piece 210 from thebottom distributor piece 174 and provides a tactile snap when the tongue232 slides along the groove 254 to the coupling position. It will beappreciated that the detent can be formed in other ways in one or moreembodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 20 and 32, as the top distributor piece 210 slides inthe rearward direction RD to couple the distributor pieces together, thebottom edge margin of the weir 264 slides along the downstream (front)section 222 of the bottom wall 220. When the top distributor piece 210reaches the coupling position, the bottom edge margin of the weir 264 isreceived in the groove 240. In one or more embodiments, placing the weir264 in the groove 240 requires pushing the top piece 210 rearward past aslight interference with the bottom piece 174. When the bottom edgemargin of the weir 264 is received in the groove 240, the weir sealinglyengages the bottom wall 220 such that water flowing along thedistributor flow path FP is inhibited from flowing through an interfacebetween the bottom edge margin of the weir and the bottom wall and isinstead directed to flow across the weir through the plurality ofopenings 266.

The weir 264 extends widthwise along a middle section of the assembleddistributor 25, at a location spaced apart between the front wall 260and the rear wall 236. The only couplings between the top distributorpiece 210 and the bottom distributor piece 174 at this middle section ofthe distributor 25 are the tongue-and-groove connections at the left andright end portions of the distributor. Thus, in the illustratedembodiment, the middle section of the distributor 25 includes couplingsat the first and second end portions of the distributor that restrainupward movement of the top distributor piece 210 with respect to thebottom distributor piece 174, but the distributor is substantially freeof restraints against upward movement of the top distributor piecerelative the bottom distributor piece along the middle section of thedistributor at locations between these couplings. However, because thebottom edge margin of the weir 264 is convex and the groove 240 iscorrespondingly concave in the widthwise direction (FIG. 32), even asthe distributor pieces 174, 210 flex and deform during use, the sealbetween the weir and the bottom wall 220 is maintained and water isreliably directed to flow through of openings 266, instead of downwardthrough the interface between the weir and the bottom wall.

IX.D. Water Flow through Distributor

Referring to FIG. 20, the distributor 25 is configured to direct waterto flow from. the inlet 212 to the outlet 214 such that the water flowsalong the flow path FP between the bottom and top walls 220, 258 andthen is directed downward along the surface tension curve 247 and thewater fall surface 249 onto the top portion of the freeze plate 22,Initially, the water flows generally in the forward direction from theinlet tube 238 through the inlet opening 212 in the rear wall 236. Thewater then encounters the lateral diverter wall 246. The lateraldiverter wall 246 diverts at least some of the water laterally outward,such that the water continues forward through the widthwise gaps betweenthe end portions of the lateral diverter wall and the end portions ofthe distributor 25.

After flowing past the lateral diverter wall 246, the water encountersthe ramp surface 242 and the segmented weir 264. The ramp surface 242 isimmediately upstream of the weir 264 such that the water flowing alongthe bottom wall 220 of the distributor 25 must flow upward along theramp surface before flowing across the weir. The weir 264 is configuredso that the openings 266 are spaced apart above the bottom wall 220(e.g., the bottom edges of the openings are spaced apart above the apexof the ramp surface 242). Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the watermust flow upward along the ramp surface 242, and upward along a portionof the height of the weir 264 before it can flow through the openings266 across the weir. In one or more embodiments, the weir 264 isconfigured so that the portion of the distributor 25 upstream of theweir backfills with water to a level that generally corresponds with theheight of the bottom edges of the openings 266 before the water beginsto spill over the weir through the openings. In certain embodiments, theramp surface 242 can direct at least some of the water flowing in theforward direction FD along the ramp surface to flow through the openings266 before the upstream portion of the distributor 25 fills with waterto a level that corresponds with the height of the bottom edges of theopenings. After flowing across the weir 264, the water drops downwardonto the sloped front runoff section 222 of the bottom wall 220 and thenflows downward and forward.

As can be seen, the upper rear edge of the front runoff section 222 isspaced apart below the openings 266 by a substantially greater distancethan the apex of the ramp surface 242. Thus, the water falls arelatively great distance from the segmented weir 264 onto the frontrunoff section 222, which may create turbulence on impact, enhancing thedistribution of water in the distributor 25. En one or more embodiments,the vertical distance between the bottom edges of the openings 266 andthe upper rear edge of the front runoff section 222 is at least 5 mm;e.g., at least 7 mm, e.g., at least 10 mm; e.g., about 12 to 13 mm.

Referring to FIG. 20A, in the assembled distributor 25, the front wall260 of the top distributor piece 210 forms an overhanging front wallthat overhangs the bottom wall 220. The bottom edge margin of the frontwall 260 is spaced apart above the forwardly/downwardly sloping frontrunoff section 222 of the bottom wall 220 such that a flow restriction270 is defined between the runoff section and the overhanging frontwall. The flow restriction 270 comprises a gap (e.g., a continuous gap)that extends widthwise between the first end portion and the second endportion of the distributor 25. In general, the flow restriction 270 isconfigured to restrict a rate at which water flows through the flowrestriction toward the outlet 214. In one or more embodiments, the flowrestriction 270 has a height extending vertically from the runoffsection 222 to the bottom of the front wall 260 of less than 10 mm,e.g., less than 7 mm; e.g., less than 5 mm; e.g., about 2 to 3 mm.

The water flowing forward along the front section 222 reaches the flowrestriction 270, and the flow restriction arrests or slows the flow ofwater. In one or more embodiments, the overhanging front wall 260 actsas a kind of inverted weir. The flow restriction 270 slows the flow ofwater to a point at which water begins to slightly backfill the frontportion of the distributor 25. This creates a small reservoir of waterbehind the flow restriction 270. A metered amount of water flowscontinuously from this back-filled reservoir through the flowrestriction 270 along substantially the entire width WD of thedistributor 25.

The surface tension curve 247—and more broadly the downstream endportion of the bottom wall 220—is forwardly proud of the overhangingfront wall 260 and the flow restriction 270. After the water flows(e.g., is metered) through the flow restriction 270, the water adheresto the downwardly curving surface tension curve 247 as it flowsgenerally forward. The surface tension curve 247 directs the waterdownward onto the waterfall surface 249. The water adheres to thewaterfall surface 249 and flows downward along it. Finally the water isdischarged from the outlet edge 214 of the waterfall surface 249 ontothe top end portion of the freeze plate 22.

Because of water distribution features such as one or more of thelateral diverter wall 246, the ramp surface 242, the segmented weir 264,the flow restriction 270, the surface tension curve 247, and thewaterfall surface 249, water is discharged from the outlet 214 at asubstantially uniform flow rate along the width WD of the distributor25. The distributor 25 thus directs water imparted through thedistributor to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate 22generally uniformly along the width WF of the freeze plate during an icemaking cycle. Moreover, the distributor 25 controls the dynamics of theflowing water so that the water generally adheres to the surfaces of thefront of the freeze plate 22 as it flows downward. Thus, the distributor25 enables ice to form at a generally uniform rate along the height HFand width WF of the freeze plate 22.

X. Use

Referring again to FIG. 1, during use the ice maker 10 alternatesbetween ice making cycles and harvest cycles. During each ice makingcycle, the refrigeration system is operated to cool the freeze plate 22.At the same time, the pump 62 imparts water from the sump 70 through thewater line 63 and further through the distributor 25. The distributor 25distributes water along the top portion of the freeze plate 22 whichfreezes into ice in the molds 150 at a generally uniform rate along theheight HF and width WF of the freeze plate 22. When the ice reaches athickness that is suitable for harvesting, the pump 62 is turned off andthe hot gas valve 24 redirects hot refrigerant gas to the evaporatortubing 21. The hot gas warms the freeze plate 22, causing the ice tomelt. The melting ice falls by gravity from the forwardly slanted freezeplate 22 into the bin 30. When harvest is complete, the pump 62 can bereactivated to begin a new ice making cycle. But if additional ice isnot required, the discharge valve 79 is opened. Residual water in thedistributor 25 drains into the sump 70 as described above, and the waterfrom the sump drains through the discharge line 78. The discharge valve79 can be closed when the water level sensor 64 detects that the sump 70is empty. If repair or maintenance of the distributor 25 should ever berequired, a technician can simply open the door 52 to the enclosure andpull out the top piece 210 as described above. No fasteners are usedwhen removing and replacing the top distributor piece 210.

When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferredembodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” areintended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms“comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive andmean that there may be additional elements other than the listedelements.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above products and methodswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1-23. (canceled)
 24. An ice maker comprising: a freeze plate defining aplurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice, thefreeze plate having a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apartalong a height and a first side portion and a second side portion spacedapart along a width; and a distributor extending along the width of thefreeze plate adjacent the top portion of the freeze plate, thedistributor being configured to direct water imparted through thedistributor to flow from the top portion of the freeze plate to thebottom portion along the width of the freeze plate; wherein thedistributor comprises a first distributor piece and a second distributorpiece, the second distributor piece configured to be releasably coupledto the first distributor piece without separate fasteners to form thedistributor.
 25. An ice maker as set forth in claim 24, wherein thefirst distributor piece and the second distributor piece havecomplementary integral fittings configured to engage one another tocouple the second distributor piece to the first distributor piece. 26.An ice maker as set forth in claim 25, wherein the ice maker furthercomprises an enclosure having an access opening, the distributor beingreceived at an interior position in the enclosure, the integral fittingsbeing configured to be disengaged for removal of the second distributorpiece when the second distributor piece is urged away from the interiorposition in a direction toward the access opening.
 27. An ice maker asset forth in claim 24, wherein each of the first distributor piece andthe second distributor piece has a first end wall adjacent the firstside portion and a second end wall adjacent the second side portion. 28.An ice maker as set forth in claim 27, wherein second distributor pieceis configured to nest between the first and second end walls of thefirst distributor piece when the second distributor piece is coupled tothe first distributor piece.
 29. An ice maker as set forth in claim 27,wherein the first end walls of the first and second distributor piecesdefine a first pair of complementary fittings configured to couple thesecond distributor piece to the first distributor piece and the secondend walls of the first and second distributor pieces define a secondpair of complementary fittings configured to couple the seconddistributor piece to the first distributor piece.
 30. An ice maker asset forth in claim 29, wherein each pair of complementary fittingscomprises a female fitting and a male fitting configured to be receivedin the female fitting.
 31. An ice maker as set forth in claim 30,further comprising an enclosure having an access opening, wherein eachmale fitting is configured to be received in the female fitting as thesecond distributor piece moves relative to the first distributor piecein a direction extending inward from the access opening toward the firstpiece.
 32. An ice maker as set forth in claim 30, wherein each femalefitting comprises an elongate groove having an open end and each malefitting comprises an elongate tongue configured to be slidably receivedin the respective elongate groove through the respective open end. 33.An ice maker as set forth in claim 32, wherein each pair ofcomplementary fittings includes a detent configured to keep therespective tongue at a coupling position along the respective elongategroove.
 34. An ice maker as set forth in claim 24, wherein the firstdistributor piece comprises a bottom wall defining a widthwise grooveconfigured to receive a portion of the second distributor piece thereinwhen the second distributor piece is coupled to the first distributorpiece.
 35. An ice maker as set forth in claim 34, wherein the seconddistributor piece comprises a generally vertical weir having a free edgemargin configured to be received in the widthwise groove.
 36. An icemaker as set forth in claim 35, wherein the free edge margin of the weiris convex in a widthwise direction and the groove is concave in awidthwise direction.
 37. An ice maker comprising: a freeze platedefining a plurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured toform ice, the freeze plate having a top portion and a bottom portionspaced apart along a height and a first side portion and a second sideportion spaced apart along a width; and a distributor adjacent the topportion of the freeze plate having a width extending along the width ofthe freeze plate, the distributor having an inlet and an outlet anddefining a distributor flow path extending from the inlet to the outlet,the distributor being configured to direct water imparted through thedistributor along the distributor flow path and discharge the water fromthe outlet such that the water flows from the top portion of the freezeplate to the bottom portion along the width of the freeze plate, thedistributor comprising a first distributor piece and a seconddistributor piece, the second distributor piece being releasably coupledto the first distributor piece to form the distributor, the firstdistributor piece comprising a bottom wall defining a groove extendingwidthwise and the second distributor piece comprising a generallyvertical weir defining a plurality of openings spaced apart along thewidth of the distributor, the weir having a free bottom edge marginreceived in the groove such that water flowing along the distributorflow path is inhibited from flowing through an interface between thebottom edge margin of the weir and the bottom wall and is directed toflow across the weir through the plurality of openings.
 38. An ice makeras set forth in claim 37, wherein the free edge margin of the weir isconvex in a widthwise direction.
 39. An ice maker as set forth in claim37, wherein the groove is concave in a widthwise direction.
 40. An icemaker as set forth in claim 37: wherein the distributor comprises afront and a rear and the weir extends widthwise along a middle sectionlocated between the front and the rear of the distributor; wherein thedistributor further comprises a first end portion and a second endportion spaced apart along the width of the distributor, a firstcoupling at the first end portion providing a restraint against upwardmovement of the second distributor piece with respect to the firstdistributor piece at the middle section of the distributor, and secondcoupling at the second end portion providing a restraint against upwardmovement of the second distributor piece with respect to the firstdistributor piece at the middle section of the distributor; and whereinthe distributor is substantially free of restraint against upwardmovement of the second distributor piece with respect to the firstdistributor piece along the middle section of the distributor atlocations along the width of the distributor between the first andsecond couplings.
 41. An ice maker as set forth in claim 37, wherein theplurality of openings are spaced apart above the bottom wall.
 42. An icemaker as set forth in claim 37, wherein the second distributor piececomprises a top wall and the distributor flow path passes between thebottom and top walls.
 43. An ice maker as set forth in claim 37, whereinthe distributor flow path comprises a first segment upstream of the weirand a second segment downstream of the weir. 44-82. (canceled)